A Story of Tradegy, Romance, & Friendship
by SilverXmoon
Summary: A young kit's journey for her and others to accept who she is inside and outside.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: OK, so this is my first fanfic...please give me constructive critism & advice! I know it's not good and needs lots of improvement. I hope it gets better as the story continues. Anyway, this story is set beyond Firestar's time.**

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**_A Story of Tradegy, Romance and Friendship  
_**

**P r o l o g u e**

The young mother protectively licked her newborn kitten, casually pondering what she should name her. She was a hard one to name; she was unusually weak and small and her coat was a light gray. Her nose was the deepest shade of black, and her rare big eyes were a delicate green—so light, in fact, they was almost yellow. Almost.

"Bluelake?" a voice called out from behind.

Bluelake turned her head slightly behind her, to see Waterstar, the leader of RiverClan, as she entered the nursery, casting aside leaves. The leader's eyes were a strong ember and her fur was a rippling sky blue, unlike Bluelake's yellow eyes and sea blue fur. In fact, Bluelake was the only daughter of Waterstar. Water sighed, sitting down carefully beside her kin, to look at her kit.

"Only one, eh?" she asked slowly, clearly disappointed.

Bluelake nodded. "Two kits died in the process, unfortunately."

"This is what happens when a she-cat as young as you has kits," Waterstar murmured quietly, observing Bluelake. "You weren't big enough for them."

Bluelake's eyes showed agony, and she hung her head in shame. "What's done is done," she mumbled after a few moments. "I know now I was foolish, to think that he loved me enough for this. And even then I should've known I was not ready."

"Toms can be that way," Waterstar told her silently. "Some will do anything to win your love and trust, then when you have kits, they desert you. Like he did to you."

"He never did love me, did he?" Bluelake meowed hesitantly, her voice wavering. She felt tears threatening to come.

"No, I'm afraid not," Waterstar responded, sighing.

The two of them stayed side by side, just letting themselves be swallowed by memories. Waterstar knew Bluelake still loved him, even after all that he'd done to her. Waterstar thought that it was partly her fault—after all, she was the mother, and a mother should know better than to let her only daughter fall in love with a tom, a tom that had mysteriously asked to become part of RiverClan. Foolishly, Waterstar had let him, against her deputy, Jaguarclaw's wishes. And now look what happened—he'd gotten Bluelake pregnant, then had suspiciously disappeared the night he'd found out!

Bluelake was the one that broke the sad silence. "What should I name her, mother?" she asked quietly, signaling the kit.

Waterstar chuckled sadly. "You'll find a name, if you look deep inside your heart," she whispered.

With those last words, Waterstar left the nursery, leaving Bluelake alone and sorrowful. She looked down at the kit—she looked so peaceful, so unaware of the world around her as she slept deeply.

She tried to search inside her heart for a name, a name like no other. She couldn't, hard as she tried. Just then, as she was about to give up thinking of an exceptionally unique name, a deliciously simple one appeared in her mind. It wasn't the most creative of names, but then again, Bluelake never did like attention. She believed in being simple and not too complicated.

Smiling softly, she murmured, close to the tiny kit's ear, "I shall call you Rainkit."

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**A/N: Once again...review please, it really means a lot to me. Should I continue?**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: OMG, _SO_ sorry for not updating sooner. Well, long chappie ahead (at least for me...) Thanks all you wonderful reviewers and I hope you're still interested in my story. XD**

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_**A Story of Tradegy, Romance, & Friendship**_

**C h a p t e r ::: O n e**

Rainkit stepped outside of the nursery, luxuriously stretching her back and paws, trying to shake sleep from her half-closed eyes. A crack of sunlight was just coming in through the cloudy skies, signaling that dawn was just arriving. Rainkit loved to get up early, way before the rest of the Clan kits woke up. It gave her a feeling of power and control, regardless of the cold weather.

"Rainkit, what are you doing up at this time of hour?!"

Startled, Rainkit looked to her left to see Gingerpaw, one of the RiverClan apprentices, calling out to her as she walked from the warrior's den. Gingerpaw was the kind of cat that was deeply talented at humor and cracking jokes. She had just been apprenticed a moon before and was one of Rainkit's closest friends. Rainkit purred as she replied, "I always get up at this time, Gingerpaw, you know that. You do it too, you know!"

She smiled mockingly. "Trying to kiss up to Waterstar for him to give you a good mentor today?"

"I—no—what?" Rainkit sputtered, eyes wide.

Gingerpaw teasingly flicked her tail at her. "Mousebrain, you're getting apprenticed today!"

"Really?" she meowed. Suddenly, she remembered. "Oh!" she exclaimed. "Great StarClan, I almost forgot!"

"You really shouldn't get up so early," Gingerpaw meowed playfully. "It seems to brainwash you."

Rainkit was too caught up in her excitement to make a proper comeback. "I can't wait!" she meowed as she danced away, eager to wake up the rest of the kits to tell them the wonderful news.

0.o.0.o.0Later, Noon0.o.0.o.0 

"Let all cats old enough to hunt gather beneath the Clan Highrock for a Clan meeting!" The clear, sharp voice of Waterstar carried out throughout the whole RiverClan camp as she stood proudly with her tail held high on top of the Highrock. The cats scurried to their places, the air tight with excitement. Bluelake had tears in her eyes, but she was smiling proudly, with Rainkit close to her, who trying to look older. Two other kits were being apprenticed today also; Flowerkit and Sunkit, sister and brother, who were with their mother too. They exchanged thrilled looks as Waterstar meowed, "Sunkit, please come forward."

He practically ran to Waterstar, delighted and happy. _(A/N: I don't know what the leaders say … let's skip that part shall we?)_

"I do," meowed Sunkit firmly; the proud, fierce kit had been waiting all his life for this moment. Rainkit admired the way the summer sunlight lit up his fiery pelt, then caught herself and coughed nervously.

"Your mentor is Rockclaw."

His eyes went wide and he gaped. Rainkit felt herself gasp as well as be envious. Rockclaw was the strongest, most intelligent warrior (except for Waterstar herself), and he was also the deputy. Flowerkit rolled her clear blue eyes and whispered to Rainkit, "He's gonna act all snobby after this. Great StarClan—the deputy's apprentice! Can you imagine?"

"I know," Rainkit murmured softly.

Rockclaw leaped up to where Sunkit was, and they both were looking pleased with themselves. They touched noses, and it was clear a strong bond would soon build up between the two of them. Waterstar meowed, "From this point forward you shall be Sunpaw."

"Sunpaw! Sunpaw! Sunpaw!" the rest of the Clan cried joyously.

Waterstar proceeded after the chanting died down. "Flowerkit, please come forward."

Trembling, she hesitantly strode to the leader.

(A/N: skipping the speech part, again…)

"I do," she meowed softly. Louder, she meowed, "I do!" Rainkit smiled, proud of her friend. Flowerkit was so delicate and sensitive, but she was definitely strong.

"Your mentor is Skyfur."

Flowerkit's eyes lit up as Skyfur's lithe body came up next to hers. Shyly, she touched noses with her, and Skyfur's eyes were so calm and gentle she felt peaceful at once. Waterstar continued, "From this point forward you call be Flowerpaw." Rainkit though Skyfur was going to be a perfect mentor for Flowerki--no, Flower_paw._

Once again, the chanting of her name began. When the Clan piped down, Waterstar paused. Rainkit's heart was fluttering in her chest, and she forced herself to calm down. Finally, she was being apprenticed! After 9 long months!

"Would Rainkit please come forward."

Rainkit was nervous like mad, but she was careful not to show it. With a controlled face and swift movements she approached Waterstar.

(A/N: blahblahblah…)

"I do," Rainkit meowed loudly and clearly. Her head was swimming with the excitement of the moment. Flowerpaw and Sunpaw got good, no, _great_ mentors—would she get a great one also?

"Your mentor …" Waterstar paused. She shot a look at Bluelake, much to Rainkit's confusion. "…Is me."

Rainkit's heart thumped so loudly she was sure every cat could hear it. She suddenly felt lightheaded, and swayed on her paws a bit. Flowerpaw and Sunpaw were gaping at her, their teeth shining from the sunlight; Sunpaw looking jealous and Flowerpaw flabbergasted. All thoughts of Waterstar's and Bluelake's strange gaze drifted out of her mind as she humbly walked up to Waterstar. She felt as if she was having a particularly strange out-of-body experience. The rest of the Clan watched; they all knew about Rainkit's past, and had a slight idea of why Waterstar chose her out of all the kits.

They touched noses delicately, black against pink, and all of RiverClan chanted her new name: Rainpaw. Her heart swelled up with pride as she looked the sea of faces, and she closed her eyes, as if savoring that moment forever.

0.o.0.o.0That Night, Apprentices' Den0.o.0.o.0

"So, Rainpaw, do you know why Waterstar chose you?" an old not-so-friendly pitch-black apprentice called Nightpaw asked, or more likely sneered, at Rainpaw.

Rainpaw's head shot up, surprised. After the ceremony, every single cat was congratulating her about achieving being the leader's apprentice. She had tried to be humble, but was clearly pleased about the event. Flowerpaw and Sunpaw were still shocked about what had happened, even now, though they were very happy for her.

At the sound of Nightpaw's voice, all the apprentices perked their ears. They included: Sunpaw, Flowerpaw, Gingerpaw, Whisperpaw (a she-cat), and Brownpaw (a tom).

Rainpaw looked at Nightpaw, then meowed uncertainly, "Well, I don't know…" An apprehensive feeling came over her, and she tried to shake it off quickly.

Brownpaw caught Nightpaw's eyes, and then smirked. "Oh, so you don't know about your father?"

Rainpaw's blood ran cold. Of course she didn't know about her father. Bluelake never mentioned him, and when she asked her as a young kit she'd only sighed and changed the subject. As Rainpaw grew up as a kit, she'd learned not to mention fathers at all, even though she envied everyone else's—their fun, wild personalities, and the sense of safety that surrounded them. She'd always wondered who her father was and why she'd never met him.

"What do you know about my father?" she asked, trying to sound confident, but a slight uncertainty was still intact. Brownpaw and Nightpaw heard it loud and clear, though.

"Oh, nothing," Nightpaw meowed casually, licking a paw innocently. He was enjoying this, she could tell.

Finally, Flowerpaw spoke up. "Leave her alone," she hissed at the two toms.

Rainpaw was alarmed. She looked around the whole den. Every single cat was avoiding her gaze. She noticed Sunpaw was intently observing at a tuft of grass as if it was the most fascinating thing in the world, Whisperpaw was trying not to look as if they knew what they were talking about, and Gingerpaw had a grim look on her face. Flowerkit was probably feeling what they were feeling too, Rainpaw thought in a rush; she was just too nice to let Brownpaw and Nightpaw harass her.

Unintentionally, her fur bristled uneasily. "What's going on here?" she meowed in confusion, glaring at her so-called friends in plain confusion.

"Nothing," Flowerpaw said, much too quickly. Rainpaw could tell she regretted ever speaking up for her, and this made her even more tense and anxious.

"Your father," Nightpaw meowed with an incredible amount of utter nastiness in his tone of voice, "is a traitor."

Rainpaw's throat tightened up. "A what?" she chocked out, praying she'd heard wrong.

"You heard him," Brownpaw joined in, licking his lips like one might before pouncing on prey. "He was a rogue, made a warrior in RiverClan. Then left you mother when he found out about you."

Rainpaw's eyes started to blur. Angrily, she blinked to clear her vision. "That..That's not true!" she meowed indignantly.

Nightpaw was loving her reaction. "Oh, but it is. We ALL know—" he signaled all the other apprentices with a flick of his black tail—"that the only reason Waterstar chose you as her apprentice was because she felt sorry for you." he smirked. "She felt she needed to protect you."

Rainpaw glared at him furiously. "How do you know all this?" she practically yelled.

"Our mothers told us." This time it was not Nightpaw or Brownpaw, but Whisperpaw. The usually silent she-cat was looking at the ground. "Right after the ceremony."

Rainpaw suddenly realized why all of her friends were acting so distant. True, they had congratulated her, but it was without heart and was lacking excitement. There was also a sort of … coldness in their words. Rainpaw had been too thrilled to talk to them about it.

Until now.

"Is this true?" she meowed to all the other apprentices. They all finally looked up, then away when they saw the pleading look in her brilliant green eyes. "Sunpaw? Flowerpaw?"

This was met by a painful silence. Brownpaw and Nightpaw were trying to hide their evil grins., but their glittering eyes, much like a bat's, gave them away completely.

Rainpaw's world was crashing all around her. At noon she was full of pride and a sense of extreme accomplishment; she had felt superior to all the other apprentices. Now it might all have been a fraud. Rainpaw felt like a joke, a bad practical joke, was just laid on her mercilessly. Anger slowly turned to pain, pain that screamed out,_ Why didn't my mother ever bother to tell me?_

"That's right," Brownpaw sneered at her maliciously, "Not only that, but…" he paused for effect. "We all think you're going to be a traitor, too."

"WHAT?"

"After all, you ARE family," Nightpaw meowed, shrugging as if he thought indifferently.

Rainpaw looked at every cat incredulously. Surely they ALL didn't think that? But by the way all of them avoided her gaze, in a flash, she knew it was the truth. The hurtful, bitter truth. Even Flowerpaw was quiet now. Gingerpaw didn't even try to be funny or to lessen the agonizing silence.

It hit her:

_**They don't trust me anymore.**_

She couldn't take it any longer. The realization was too much for her. In nearly five minutes, she'd found out that a) her father was a traitor, b) her friends hated her for him, c) no cat, knowing of her past, would ever trust her, and on top of that—Waterstar pitied her. Rainpaw felt disgusted, pathetic. This was no way to live life.

Without another word, she fled the den, her head all a big mush of words and feelings. She felt as if her heart was plunged into a bush of very prickly bushes, and tears were threatening to burst out of her tightly closed eyelids. She ran out of the camp, ignoring the cold leaf-fall weather that sliced right through her thin gray fur.

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**A/N: When I was writing this I felt like I was going on and on and on and on and on...Do you guys feel that way too? ((that's your cue to REVIEW!))**


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